At the time of manufacture, tennis balls are pressurized to approximately 10 psi. They are normally packaged in a pressurized, hermetically sealed can to insure that they will be properly pressurized when first put into play. When the balls are exposed to normal atmospheric pressure, the gas inside the balls slowly leaks out and in a few weeks or after a few plays, the balls become "dead" and are at atmospheric pressure. Frequently, the balls become dead before the external surfaces thereof are even minimally worn. With the applicant's method and apparatus, a system for repressurizing dead tennis balls is provided which includes a means for internally sealing the aperture or passage formed in the wall of the ball necessitated when a pressurizing element such as a gas injecting needle penetrates the skin of the ball.
With applicant's device, proper pressurizing of a tennis ball which has gone dead is obtained and the benefits of such method and apparatus should be obvious to anyone who has played tennis. Very often balls are simply thrown away because they have become dead and they do not even find proper use as practice balls. With applicant's concept, these balls may be rejuvenated and at least find use as practice balls even if they would not pass standards necessary for tournament play or the like.
It is therefore an object of applicant's invention to provide a method and the apparatus for repressurizing tennis balls to substantially internally pressurize the same to the standards and pressure to which they were originally manufactured and provided.
It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a method and the apparatus for pressurizing tennis balls by introducing gas interiorally into the ball and by providing means for internally sealing the aperture formed through the ball.
It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a method and the apparatus for repressurizing tennis balls and other balls, which require internal pressure, but which normally do not provide filling or pressurizing apertures through the outer skin thereof, by providing a means to introduce gas into the ball and pressurize the same to a first predetermined pressure, and to inject sealant into the ball through the same element as used to pressurize the ball such that a single aperture through the ball may be used to pressurize and introduce the sealant therein.
It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a method and the apparatus for penetrating the skin of a tennis ball or the like for the introduction of gas therein for repressurizing thereof and thereafter or prior thereto introducing a sealant into the ball for sealing of the aperture internally of the skin of the ball.
It is still a further object of applicant's invention to provide a method and the apparatus for automatically repressurizing tennis balls and the like by providing a means for automatically predetermining and controlling internal pressure of the ball and thereafter introducing a sealant into the ball to flow about the gas injecting member and to cover the aperture formed theregy after removal of the injecting member.
It is still a further object of applicant's invention to provide a method and the apparatus for automatically repressurizing and internally sealing at least one tennis ball or the like which includes means for compressing the ball, penetrating the skin of the ball, injecting air or gas into the ball to a predetermined pressure and injecting a predetermined amount of sealant interiorally of the ball for sealing about the injecting member and about and over the aperture formed thereby after removal of the injecting means such that the ball is returned in an apparent unaltered condition.